The idea of unleashing three of Asia's wildest directors in the same omnibus film is a terrific one, and putting the likes of Miike Takashi and Park Chan-wook to work in the Twilight Zone-style mini-feature is mouth-watering for fans. (Just look at what happened when Miike made an installment of Showtime's Masters of Horror series--it was deemed too crazy for broadcast.) Alas, the results are a letdown. First up, "Dumplings," is from Hong Kong's Fruit Chan, and it's the most cogent (and ickiest) of the bunch. Bai Ling plays a specialist in preparing dumplings that promise to restore youth and health for her customers; the weird part is she also runs a particular clinic on her premises. Ugh. The Korean offering from Park Chan-wook is "Cut," a warp on filmmaking about a self-centered director who gets trapped at his home (or is it the set of his new movie?) by a deranged former extra. The sadistic machinations here make Hannibal Lecter look reasonable, and the segment gets points for weirdness, but Park's take on revenge fantasies is much more exciting in Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Miike represents Japan with "Box," which really is in the spirit of an old Outer Limits episode, complete with a "gotcha" ending that doesn't seem worth the trouble. Sure, twins are always a good topic for horror, but this segment is a long way to travel for not much. All three segments look good--there's little hint of the grindhouse cheapie here--but overall it's a disappointment. --Robert Horton
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Bai Ling | Mei (segment: Dumplings) |
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Pauline Lau | Li's Maid (segment: Dumplings) |
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Tony Leung Ka Fai | Lee (segment: Dumplings) |
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Meme Tian | Connie (segment: Dumplings) |
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Miriam Yeung Chin Wah | Ching (segment: Dumplings) |
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Sum-Yeung Wong | Old Hair Dresser (segment: Dumplings) |
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Kam-Mui Fung | Vomiting Woman (segment: Dumplings) |
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Wai-Man Wu | Mei's Nurse Friend (segment: Dumplings) |
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Chak-Man Ho | Wang (segment: Dumplings) |
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Miki Yeung | Kate (segment: Dumplings) |
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So-Foon Wong | Kate's Mother (segment: Dumplings) |
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Ho Fung Chuk | High Society Woman 1 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Wai-Ling Chan | High Society Woman 2 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Agnes Pang | High Society Woman 3 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Suk Hing Leung | High Society Woman 4 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Mary Lai-Hing Yeung | High Society Woman 5 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Mary Lai-Tung Poon | High Society Woman 6 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Ivy Lau | High Society Woman 7 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Peggy Lok | High Society Woman 8 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Grace Choi | High Society Woman 9 (segment: Dumplings) |
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Peter Wong | Family Doctor (segment: Dumplings) |
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Kai-Piu Yau | Gynaecologist (segment: Dumplings) |
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Byung-hun Lee | Director (segment: Cut) |
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Won-hui Lim | Stranger (segment: Cut) |
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Hye-jeong Kang | Director's Wife (segment: Cut) |
| Nr Discs | 2 |
|---|---|
| Screen Ratios | 1.78:1 |
| Audio Tracks | Dolby Digital 5.1 [English] |
| Subtitles | English |
| Distributor | Lions Gate |
| Edition Release Date | Feb 28, 2006 |
| Regions | Region 1 |
| Owner | Jackmeats Flix |
|---|---|
| Location | Flix New Releases |
| Purchased | At VXT for $ 14.98 |
| Watched | Aug 10, 2013 (at home) |
| Index | 729 |
| Added Date | Jul 06, 2017 01:34:29 |
| Modified Date | Mar 24, 2026 01:46:36 |
My quick rating - 6.5/10. Three Extremes is actually 3 unique stories released as one film. Each story represents a different "idea," so to speak. Without going into detail per story, each is crafted exceptionally well in all aspects of true film. Granted, this is a foreign movie, so it is subtitled (the version I saw), but this does not distract from the acting in the slightest. The acting in "Cut" stood out most to me as the crazy man slowly fell apart throughout his hostage-taking ordeal. This was how Park Chan-wook followed up Oldboy and ever since has brought out some remarkable films. "Box" was a cinematography 101 class on how to show style, scenery, and environment to hold attention to an otherwise fairly bland plot. Then again, Takashi Miike directed this episode, and his eye behind the camera is second to none. The startling subject matter of "Dumplings" may revolt some viewers, but it is also the best of the three to draw you into the story and round it out with quality acting that is very subtle. This was the first outing for Fruit Chan, who has since turned out some varying quality flicks. I suggest you go in blind to this one, as I did; the payoff is quite good. Enjoy. I know I currently have this one slated up for a rewatch soon due to a quality upgrade, and after revisiting this review, I am eager to check it out again. (original title: Sam gang 2 or Saam Gaang Yi)
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